Tufted fabric with bias fabric backing and process for producing the same



Nov. 3,1959 A. U. PRIESTER, JR 2,910,762

TUFTED FABRIC WITH BIAS FABRIC BACKING AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THESAME Filed May 27, 1957 TUFTED P/LE BIAS FABRIC VACUUM INVENTOR AmasZZPn'esZen J1".

ATTORNEYS 2,910,762 Patented Nov. 3, 1959 TUFTED FABRIC WITH BIAS FABRICBACKING AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME Amos U. lriester, In, LaGrange, Ga., assignor to Callaway Mills Company, La Grange, Ga., acorporation of Georgia Application May 27, 1957, Serial No. 661,759 4Claims. (Cl. 28--72) The present invention relates to a tufted fabrichaving a bias fabric backing, and to a process for producing the same.

Large quantities of tufted fabrics are currently produced, primarily foruse as floor coverings. In the production of such fabrics a wovenbacking fabric is passed through a multiple needle tufting machine whichinserts pile loops through the backing fabric. The pile loops may beleft uncut to provide loop pile or the loops may be cut to provide cutpile. Multiple needle tufting machines and their mode of operation arewell-known in the ;art and need not be described here. One such machineis disclosed in United States Patent 2,335,487, issued November 30,1943, to Cobble et al.

In the production of tufted fabrics the backing fabric is usually ofwoven material. The backing fabric is supplied in the form of a web inwhich the warp threads extend longitudinally and the filling threadsextend transversely of the web. The webis fed longitudinally through thetufting machine and is tufted throughout substantially its entire width.This operation results in a tufted fabric in which the longitudinal rowsof pile stitchesare parallel to the warp threads of the backing fabricand in which the transverse rows of pile stitches are parallel to thefilling threads of the backing fabric.

There are certain potential fields of use for which conventional tuftedfabrics have not heretofore been considered suitable or in which thecost of adapting such fabrics tothose fields has been excessive. Therehave been limitations on the use of conventional tufted fabrics, forexample as furniture or automobile upholstery material. Theselimitations have been due in large part to the inability of the tuftedfabrics to stretch to conform neatly to the contour of the furniture orseats being upholstered. Another'potential field of utility for whichtufted fabrics have heretofore been unsuitable is in auto mobile floorcoverings. The floors of many modern automobiles have raised ridges orprotuberances of irregular contour for the purpose of enabling the floorof the automobileto be positioned lower on the chassis. Attempts to usetufted fabrics as floor coverings for such automobiles has necessitatedcutting and sewing the fabrics to conform to the automobile floors. Thishas involved an undesirable item of cost. The limitations on thestretching of conventional tufted fabrics has heretofore prevented thelamination of such fabrics to foam rubber seat cushions and backsbecause the conventional tufted fabrics could not adapt themselvesneatly to the irregular contours of the foam rubber.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide atufted fabric which is capable of being stretched substantially, eitherin a direction parallel to the longitudinal rows of pile stitches or ina direction parallel to the transverse rows of pile stitches, or in bothsuch directions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tufted fabric which iscapable of eflicient use as an upholstery fabric and which will readilyconform to the irregular contour of the article being upholstered.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tufted fabricwhich can be laminated with a sheet of rubber or other. curable plasticmaterial, which laminated product can be molded to irregular shapes andwhich will retain its irregular shape after curing of the rubber orother plastic sheet.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tufted fabricfloorcovering which conforms to the irregular three dimensional. contourof floors such as automobile floors.

The invention will be better understood from the following descriptionwhich has reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic top plan view of a bias fabricbacking showing tufted pile on a portion thereof; and

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of a vacuum mold .1

in which is, positioned a tufted pile fabric of the pres:

ent invention laminatedrwith a curable rubber orother plastic sheet.

The backing fabric utilized in the present invention is preferablyoriginally woven in tubular form. One] suitable apparatus for producingthe tubular fabric is disclosed in United States Patent 2,517,021,issued; August 1, 1950, to Samuel P. Parker. The tubular fabric j. isthen out along a helical line by means of a bias cut-- I ting machine.One bias cutting machine suitablefor this purpose is disclosed in UnitedStates Patent 2,644,- 522, issued July 7, 1953, to Samuel P. Parker andRoscoe- Lee Thompson. The bias cutting machine is preferably arranged tomake the cut of the tubular fabric along a line which extends at aforty-five'degree angle to both The resulting bias loop pile or whetherthe loops have been cut to provide cut pile. t

In the drawing the bias fabric backing is designated by the referencenumeral 3 and has warp threads 4 and filling threads 5 which extend atforty-five degree angles to the side edges 6 and 7 of the backing. Asthe bias fabric backing is fed through a multiple needle'tufting machine(such as that disclosed in the aforesaid Patent Number 2,335,487,),there are formed longitudinal rows of pile loops 8. Corresponding loopsin each longitudinal row are also aligned transversely of the fabric.Thev pile loops may remain uncut to provide a loop pile fabric or theloops fabric. r

The tufted pile fabricillustrated in Figure 1 and describedabove iscapable 10f being stretched both longi tudinally and transversely and istherefore suitable for many of the uses heretofore discussed. .Suchfabric is particularly suitable as an upholstery material or forlaminating to form rubber seat cushions and backs. The rear face of thetufted pile fabric may be given a coating of latex, if desired.

Figure 2 illustrates one suitable procedure for laminating the tuftedpile fabric of the present invention with rubber or other curableplastic material to form a contoured laminate which conforms toirregular surfaces such as automobile floors. The tufted pile fabric isplaced on the lower platen of a conventional vacuum may be cut toprovide a cut pile:

mold 9 with the pile surface of the fabric facing the vacuum chamber 10,which is provided with openings 11 adjacent the pile surface of thefabric. A relatively thick sheet 12 of uncured rubber or other curableplastic material is positioned in the mold against the back of the biasfabric backing 3. The edges of the laminate are then clamped byconventional means such as an 11pper platen 13. Air is withdrawn fromthe vacuum chamber through a conduit 14 by means of a vacuum pump, notshown. Reduction in pressure in the vacuum chamber 10 beneath thelaminate Willcause the central portion of the laminate to be drawn fromapproximately the dottted line position shown in Figure 2 to the fullline position shown in that figure. The tufted fabric is able to assumethis three dimensional contour because of the fact that the bias fabricbacking can stretch both longitudinally and transversely. The rubher orother curable plastic sheet 12 is cured to assume a permanent set whilethe laminate is in the full line position illustrated in Figure 2. It ispreferable to give the back surface of the bias fabric backing 3 a lightcoating of suitable adhesive before placing it in the mold to increasethe strength of the bond between the bias fabric backing and the plasticsheet 12. Upon removal from the mold the permanent se of the sheet 12will cause the laminate to retain the configuration shown.

By properly selecting the contour of the mold 9 it is possible toproduce a laminated floor covering which conforms to the irregularcontour of a floor such as an automobile floor.

The degree of stretch which is obtainable in the fabric of the presentinvention can be controllde by selection of' the bias angle on which thefabric is cut and by selection of the number of warp and filling threadsper inch. The size of the pile yarn, the number of stitches of pile yarnper inch and the gauge of the tufted carpet do not appear to have anyappreciable effect on the stretch of the fabric.

The following table gives the details of a suitable cotton fabricbacking construction, both in the woven tubular form and after being cuton the bias at an angle of forty-five degrees:

Tubular Weight per sq. yd ounces Widthinches 67% Warps ends per inch.Fillings ends per inch Warp yarn; s./l Filling yarn s./1

The bias fabric having the details set forth in the of ways. The clothroll stand carrying the roll of backing fabric may be provided wtih apositively driven letoff motion similar to the positive let-off motionwhich controls the amount of tension in the warp yarns supplied to aconventional loom. Alternatively, the backing fabric may be run from thesupply roll into a scray where it will be free of tension and from whichit can be pulled through the tufting machine by the take-up roller forthe, tufted fabric.

The bias fabric backing may be produced from fibers other than cotton.Blends of fibers may be used.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A method for producing a tufted fabric having longitudinal andtransverse stretch which comprises inserting a plurality of pile yarnsthrough a web of plain woven backing fabric in which the warp andfilling threads extend at acute angles to the parallel side edges of theweb, the section of said plurality of pile yarns being from one face ofthe web .and along a first line extending transversely of said web atacute angles to said warp and filling threads to form a firsttransversely extending row of tufted pile elements on the opposite faceof said web, repeatedly inserting said plurality of pile yarns throughsaid web from said one face thereof along lines parallel to andlongitudinally spaced from said first line to form additionaltransversely extending rows of tufted pile elements on said oppositeface of said web, forming corresponding tufted pile elements in eachtransversely extending row from the same pile yarn, and aligning saidcorresponding tufted pile elements in longitudinal rows extending atacute angles to said warp and filling threads.

2. A tufted fabric having longitudinal and transverse stretch-whichcomprises a plurality of pile yarns extending through a web of plainwoven backing fabric in which the warp and filling threads extend atacute angles to the parallel side edges of the web, said plurality ofpile yarns extending through the web from one face thereof along a firstline extending transversely of said web at acute angles to said warp andfilling threads to provide a first transversely extending row of:tuftedpile elements on the opposite face of said web, said plurality of pileyarns extending repeatedly through said web from said one face thereofalong transversely extending lines parallel to and longitudinally spacedfrom said first line to provide additional longitudinally spaced andtransversely extending rows of tufted pile elements on said oppositeface of said web, the corresponding pile elements in each transverselyextending row being aligned in longitudinal rows extending at acuteangles to said warp and filling threads.

3. A tufted fabric as defined in claim 2 in which said tufted pileelements are in the form of pile loops.

4. A tufted fabric as defined in claim 2 in which said tufted pileelements are in the form of cut pile.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,367,751 Morris Feb. 8, 1921 2,063,853 Rice et a1. Dec. 8, 19362,296,502 Cotterman Sept. 22, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 262,681 Great BritainDec. 16, 1926 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oTTTeT; CERTIFICATE M (JORHEWWNPatent Non 2,910,762 November 3, .1959

Amos Uc Priester, Jr

It is hereby certified that error appears in the .printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the saidLetters Patent should read as corrected below,

Column 4, line 18, for "the section of" read an the insertion of eSigned and sealed this 12th day of April 19600 (SEAL) Attest:

KARL HQ 7 AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents

